


The ones who help the forest run

by Eagefrien



Series: Scaretober 2019 [5]
Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: Hurt and comfort, Multi, Physical Therapy, The forest has its own personality and feelings, changing scenery, cottege, massive injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:01:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24337819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eagefrien/pseuds/Eagefrien
Summary: In this world, the forest is as deep as the seas. And with every generation, a new group is set out to care for the forests and mend to it. Sometimes, ignorance to the magic of the forest, is as fatal as death.
Relationships: Arthur/Lewis (Mystery Skulls Animated), Arthur/Lewis/Vivi (Mystery Skulls Animated)
Series: Scaretober 2019 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1756990
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	1. Trap

**Author's Note:**

> this is an Au @swiftishere and I made!

_The branch twists and wraps around his thigh, taking hold of it in a tight, furious grip that only dug its thorns in deeper into his skin when Arthur yanked back. It would have worked, Arthur could argue._

_Had it not been for the hole in his leg the tree was attempting to stab through._

_He couldn’t even hiss, the poisons seeping into his skin and paralyzing the muscles . Nerves screaming, burning with such an intensity that Arthur could hardly see straight. Much less for the dim white moonlight barely lighting a path, Arthur was blinded from the tears stinging at his eyes._

_coiling up his leg and pressing its thorns deeper, the branch splits into subsections, and yet the numbness barely masking said twigs and branches puncturing his veins. The plunge forcing Arthur to his knees._

_His hands shake, trembling viciously from its burn, similar to his scrambling thoughts. “A yokai? A monster with- AHH-!” He screams, and at the same time it’s stuck there._

_Arthur digs for his bag, tousled to the side and barely out of reach. Grinding his teeth and clawing at the dirt for the blade hanging off the side._

_C’mon, cmon, cmon, cmon! Grab it!_

_The burn intensifies, thorns spiking out and embedding into his flesh. Spores of blood bleeds past his clothes and fills the ground around him._

_Heart racing, too confused to understand what to do, Arthur takes hold of the dagger hanging off the side- not bothering to unlatch it and stabbing it into plant, only to recoil in agony as the spot goes red and it thrashes._

_He’s alone. He’s alone, he’s going to die-_

_Sucking in his breath, Arthur stifles the urge to sob and shrieks, “LEWIS-! VIVI! H-HELP-!”_

“Are you alright, Artie?” Lewis whispers softly, arms outstretched and delicately gripping Arthur’s arms as if he were made of porcelain. 

And being directly contradicted when Arthur _jumps_ on one leg to get closer. Completely missing the point of physical therapy.

Arthur still winces, needing to land on the ground anyway. But despite the small moan of pain, Lewis is reaching up and holding him up, a scold brewing on his tongue.

“Arthur! You shouldn’t move too fast, you’re still healing.” 

“Sorry-!” Arthur hisses, eyes clenched shut and lifting his leg up slightly, doing _nothing_ to help soothe and lessen the pain, “I can’t help it, I don’t _want_ to walk on this damn leg!”

Lewis frowns, “I know, but it’s the best way for you to learn how to still use it as you heal. We’ll help you,” smiling softly and leaning close to hug him, lifting him slightly off the ground, but just barely so Arthur’s toes touched still.

Arthur whines, huffing and sinking into Lewis’s hold, cheek pressed against Lewis’s chest.

And not too far off, cloaked in a thick robe, drenched in a mixture of sweat, dew, and whatever potion of hers just blew up, Vivi peaks out. A smile stretching over her face at the sight. 

And she bounds across the garden. 

“Hey hey!” Is the only warning, Lewis reacting first and spinning Arthur out of harm’s way, standing strong when Vivi leaps onto his back. 

“Vivi, c'mon.” He says warningly, glaring at Vivi as she mocks innocence and climbs higher on his back, perching on his shoulder and smiling coyly down at Arthur. 

“What!” Vivi asks, reaching down and playfully curling a finger around Arthur’s antennas, before flinching back at the pure _wrath_ of his glare, “I’m not the one who got stuck in a moose trap~” 

Arthur’s head falls back, letting out a guttural wail, “I didn’t know!” Finishing off his whine by pressing his _teary eyed_ face into Lewis’s chest again. 

“You didn’t even look to see for traps!” 

“No one told me that the forest takes things and brings it to us to deal with! It’s not my fault.”

“Where do you think they go?” Vivi asks, accidentally pulling back Lewis’s hair and forcing his head back. 

“I don’t know. I thought the forest just-“ Arthur trips over his words, “threw them? Somewhere? Not left it in the dark!” 

Vivi snickers, finally catching the glare Lewis was shooting her. Unfazed, she simply boops his nose. 

“Alright, your protest has been heard. I’ll stop teasing.” She leans over Lewis’s head, looking at Arthur directly, “Artie, want me to grab you a healing potion?” 

Arthur- with his (now common) pout puckers up more, gaze switching to Lewis. Always the authoritarian over what medicines are used and when, they all knew this, and as soon as Vivi jumped down, whisking out a small bottle of clear and shimmery liquids, Lewis returned Arthur’s gaze. 

Three seconds pass, “After you finish the rest of the hour, then you can.”

_“LEEEEW”_


	2. Stay with Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few months before Arthurs injury, he and Lewis went for a walk together.

The twigs and leaves snap and crunch under their feet as they walk in tandem, both men having short and fleeting conversation. Arthur, however, was on edge. 

Lewis had brought him out here for a reason. Needed to discuss important business. Whatever that “business” was had Arthur overtly tense and focused on every detail of the expression on Lewis’s face. Anything that could mean anything, Arthur surely overthought. And the prospect was exhausting. 

_Just chill, he’s about to leave and become a protector of the Forest. Maybe he just wants to talk, confide, things like that._ Arthur reminds himself, gnawing on his lip and playing with his hands, fumbling specifically with his more mechanical one. 

Lewis glances down at him, a soft smile floating across his face, and he reaches down to hook his thumb around Arthurs. 

“Is everything okay, Artie?”

Arthur snaps to attention, immediately eyeing Lewis’s hand before hesitantly taking it, appreciating the squeeze before looking at Lewis.

“I’m good, thinking is all…” Arthur sighs, searching for the yellow stones he always looked for when he was nervous, “.. I’m really going to miss you and Vivi.” 

Perking up at that, Lewis frowns, eyebrows furrowed, and he gently squeezes Arthurs palm.

“It’s been fun while it lasted, though! I’m sure you and Vi’ and… I’m sure you guys will be really happy together.” 

“Ah- is that what you think?”

Face scrunching up, Arthur shrugs, “Yeah? Aren’t you guys going to your new home like… next month?”

Its Lewis’s time to shrug, a bit uncommitted too, which was _more_ than concerning considering how invested he’s been in this. Arthur immediately had questions bubbling in his stomach, ready to bombard his friend when Lewis turns to him with that same, gentle smile, enveloping his hand entirely. 

“I actually wanted to talk to you about that.”

“Oh yeah? What about?” Arthur asks, frowning a bit more. Paying particular attention when Lewis squeezes his hand, smiling down at him sweetly.

“Would you be interested in joining us?”

…

_Excuse me?_

His confusion must have been obvious, because Lewis’s face flushes and he’s gripping his hand a little tighter, this time stopping and bring it up to his chest. With a nervous hum, “Vivi and I want one more person to join us in our new life, and we both want it to be you.” Lewis says, earnestly watching Arthurs expression for the shifts of shock covering it, “Of course, it is a huge commitment. I didn’t want to pin this on you last minute but.. I never willed the courage to ask. I… we both really want you to stay in our lives.” Lewis says in a burst of excitement. 

The kind that has been bubbling in your stomach for far too long, and has you itching to confess.

“You… you want.. Me?”

Lewis bobs his head eagerly, “Yes! I- I know you wanted to stay with your uncle, and that’s why I’ve been so hesitant, but I truly mean it Arthur. I want you to stay with me. I promise, on my life, that I will do everything I can to keep you safe, and happy, and satisfied with everything!” 

Arthur doesn’t answer, he can’t.

Lewis notices this, face softening, “But it’s up to you, Arthur,” _Arthur.. Why did that feel so intimate?_ “I-… I will never force you to come with us if that isn’t the life you want. I just-” Lewis freezes, something just barely on the tip of his tongue. 

“.. Y-yeah..?” Arthur says, leaning in a bit more than he thought he would, heart pounding against his chest. _Can he feel his eyes sting? Is he going to cry?_

Lewis takes a long, deep breath, and his palm touches from Arthur’s hand to his shoulder, ghosting at the base of his neck.

“I never told you this, but… Arthur, I- I adore you. I adore every aspect of you. I- I can’t imagine a life without you in it. Its- it blows me away just… how much of my heart beats for you.”

_Lewis may as well just get down on his knee and propose already._

Arthurs head is spinning faster than the stars beginning to dot the sky behind Lewis’s head. He chokes out a breathless laugh, not even breathing straight from the swarm of emotion washing over him. 

“But- but i’m… I’m not experienced..! In- in anything, I-” Out of all the things he could have said, none of it seemed to matter in that moment. 

Lewis laughs, bringing him into a hug, so tight that Arthur could feel their hearts beat together.

“That’s okay! It’s alright, Arthur, Its- its very common, Its-! _God, I love you.”_

“… I love you, too, Lewis. I want to go with you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, yeah.. Im- i’ll talk with Lance and- and… yeah… I love you.” 

“I love you too.”


End file.
